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Brilliant Lies

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Brilliant Lies
Brilliant Lies

By Braeden Marano

In the play, ‘Brilliant Lies', David Williamson uses a number of techniques to expand on the concepts introduced in the title. He uses characters and their back stories to build a supporting argument to compliment the text's overall theme that everyone lies to protect themselves. Susy's sexual harassment claim contains the most evident form of lies throughout the text, however Vince and Gary's relationship, Susy's family history, and even Marion's favouritism with clients all help to identify the main themes to the reader.

All through the play, there is an epic battle between Susy and Gary. Susy is _____. Gary is ______. Susy claims that Gary sexually assaulted her and Gary strongly denies it. At various points in the text, in mediation sessions with Marion who is a _____, we are told many variations of what happened between the pair. In the first scene, Susy tells Marion the Gary ‘grabbed my breasts and said something sick and when I turned around Gary's member was inches in front of my nose. The next day, I was fired.' In the next scene, Gary tells Marion that she was fired because ‘her work was unsatisfactory.'
In the first mediation meeting between Susy and Gary, Susy lies about telling Katy, her sister, everything that happened between her and Gary. Katy lies by saying that Susy suffered ‘seven months of vicious sexual persecution' and Gary lies by saying that the claim is ‘utter bullshit.' At this stage in the play, the audience is unsure as to who is telling the truth due to the fact that everyone is lying, and this is a statement that Williamson makes about personal and business relationships and how society operates. He is saying that everybody needs to lie in order for them to look out for their best interests, no matter who gets hurt.
It is not until the climax of the play that we think we've uncovered the truth as to what really happened between Susy and Gary when Susy admits to having sex with Gary on several

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